


The Heart of the Ocean

by puss_nd_boots



Category: DIAURA, Royz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Anal Sex, M/M, Mirror Sex, Oral Sex, Rimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:05:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4224588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puss_nd_boots/pseuds/puss_nd_boots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Down in the dumps after losing his job at a men’s fashion magazine, Yo-ka comes to Nago Beach in Okinawa to housesit for a rich friend and try to get his mind off his troubles. Then, an act of kindness to an animal brings a mysterious young man into his life – but why does he appear on the beach at the same time and place every night and disappear before dawn every morning?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Heart of the Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for the Summer Romance Challenge at jrockyaoi, but it was too long to enter the contest.

When Yo-ka arrived at Nago Beach, he didn’t feel any further away from life’s problems than he did when he was back in Tokyo. 

He was surrounded by sun, sand, surf, nightspots, restaurants, and botanical gardens. That didn’t make him any less fired from his job. Oh, excuse me, “laid off.” His boss had given him the same song and dance that was always given to people in his situation. Blah, blah, going through lean times, yadda, yadda, will bring you back if things get a bit better. 

Yo-ka had spent that fateful night texting everyone he knew with the bad news, as if one of them would be able to wave a magic wand and make everything better again. No magic wands in sight – just an endless stream of “Oh, man, I’m so sorry.” 

Until he happened to message one old friend from high school, who just happened to own a nice beach house in Nago, the premiere beach resort in Okinawa, after striking it rich with a pineapple wine company. 

After the usual condolences, the friend said, “Hey, I’m going to be away in Korea for a couple of weeks at the end of the month – working the international markets. Why don’t you come housesit my place while I’m away? You could use the change of surroundings.” 

At first, Yo-ka was going to turn him down. He needed charity even less than he needed sympathy. But after a day or two of unemployment, the walls of his place were starting to close in on him. 

And so, he took the offer. Which is how he got to the point where he was right now – second day of his so-called vacation, sitting on the sand, staring out at the water. Maybe looking out at the waves would make him see a new direction for his life, new possibilities. 

Nope, all he was seeing were kids chasing each other along the wet sandbar at the water’s edge, and a couple dozing on their beach towels, and a guy in baggy swim trunks desperately huffing and puffing into an inner tube. Not exactly inspirational. 

He got up and started to walk toward the waves. Maybe a swim would help. Maybe he was getting overheated, he needed to cool down a bit. Maybe . . . 

That’s when he became aware of something violently thrashing around in the water. 

It was a little way out to sea, just when the water started to hit the too-deep-for-kids levels. There was a net stretched across the water there, held in place by big poles driven into the sand – according to the tourist web site for this place, it was supposed to keep dangerous marine life from coming in to land. 

Maybe it was a shark? Should he alert the beach staff? Yo-ka looked around – none of them seemed to be noticing the thrashing. The other beachgoers just kind of glanced at it, but didn’t pay it any mind, either. 

Curious, he waded out into the water. Now that he got closer, he could see it definitely wasn’t a shark. No, it was some other sort of sea creature. A dugong, maybe? There were supposed to be some of them around here. 

As he drew nearer still, he could see that the thing thrashing around was a seal – a rather large one, about the size of a large child or a small adult, with a golden-brown coat. The poor thing was tangled in the net but good, and the more it thrashed, the worse its predicament became. 

“Hold on,” Yo-ka called. “I’ll help you.” As if the seal could understand him. He swam out to the creature, found the net, lifted one edge . . . 

It took a bit of twisting and stretching and being careful not to hurt the animal trapped within until the seal was finally able to slide free. It ducked under the water, then popped back up, making a happy barking, braying sound. 

“There you go,” Yo-ka said. “Now, don’t come around here again, I won’t always be around to rescue you. I’m only here for a couple of weeks.” The seal barked again, bobbing up and down in the water. “You’re a lively one, aren’t you? Must be nice to have a life like yours – no worries, no anxiety over whether you’re going to be able to pay the bills from now on, no . . .” 

And then, a strange feeling passed through Yo-ka’s body. It was . . . a chill. Like somebody had reached into his very soul and was probing it. It only lasted a moment, and then it was gone. 

_What the hell is going on with me?_ he thought. _I’m having conversations with seals. I’m getting creeped out over nothing. And this is after about two and a half weeks out of work. If I’m unemployed for much longer, I’m going to end up in a rubber room._

“Never mind,” he told the seal. “You just go on doing your seal thing, and I’ll get back to doing whatever I’m doing.” 

The seal barked again and dove back under the water, swimming away from the net. Yo-ka turned and went back to shore. 

Well, that was my big excitement for the day, he thought. 

* * * 

That evening, as the sun was setting, he was sitting back in pretty much the same spot where he’d been earlier that day. 

He’d gone back inside after the great seal rescue, taken a shower, got out his computer and surfed every job search site he could think of. Dozens of resumes later, he raided the kitchen (good thing he had free reign of all the food in the house) and then felt the urge to go outside again. 

It was quieter now. The other tourists were out eating and drinking or at the karaoke place or just strolling around. He was pretty much alone . . . 

Except for one young man who was walking down the beach toward him. 

He was wearing a simple pair of shorts and a T-shirt with the English words BIG FUN on it. His thick, pale blond hair was blowing in the summer breeze. And he had a face that could only be described as gorgeous. Big eyes, full lips, lovely cheekbones. He carried a bag of some sort in one hand. 

Just the kind of thing Yo-ka would hit on if he’d spotted him across a crowded bar. Of course, with the way his luck was going right now? The pretty thing probably didn’t even like guys. 

The young man continued to walk toward him – right toward him, in fact. “Hi,” the newcomer said. “Are you new here?” 

“Sort of,” Yo-ka replied. “I’m visiting. I’m taking care of someone’s house for a couple of weeks. I normally live in Tokyo. What about you?” 

“Oh, I’m here year-round,” said the young man. “I’ve seen just about everyone who normally hangs out at this part of the beach. That’s why I spotted you – you’re different. That, and . . . well, you’re the one who rescued a seal earlier, aren’t you?” 

“Yes,” Yo-ka said. “That was no big deal, really. I just saw it and helped out.” 

“Not everyone would do that.” The man dropped his bag on the sand and sat down next to Yo-ka. “I’m called Subaru, by the way.” 

“I’m called Yo-ka,” the other man replied. “Are you originally from Osaka? You sound like it.” 

“I came from there originally, yes – but I’ve been here for a long time. This is where I belong.” 

“I wish I still had a place to belong,” Yo-ka mumbled. 

“Why do you say that?” 

“I lost my job,” he replied. “I was writing for a magazine that covered hip fashion for men. Except we kept getting less and less advertisers, and the publication got smaller and smaller, and they decided to fold it into their women’s fashion magazine and let almost all of us go.” He sighed. “It was the only place I’d worked at all my adult life. I’d wanted to retire from there.” 

“That’s awful,” Subaru said. “I mean, when you lose something like that . . . it’s not just about the money. It’s like part of you is gone.” 

“That’s right,” Yo-ka said. “You understand.” He’d put it beautifully, too – it was something he’d felt inside himself ever since the catastrophic firing, but hadn’t been able to put it into words. 

“But you’ll get that part back,” Subaru said. 

“How can you be so sure?” Yo-ka said, looking at him. God, he was gorgeous. He looked fresh and sweet and innocent - the kind of thing that would just seem cloying in some guys, but he pulled it off. 

“When you want opportunity to find you bad enough,” Subaru said, “it does. Trust me.” 

“Has it ever found you?” Yo-ka said. 

There was a pause. “I’ve always lived my life the way I wanted to,” Subaru said. “So I’ve always been happy.” He looked out toward the sea. “All I need . . . is this.” 

“The ocean?” 

“What is it that you need? What’s at the center of your life?” 

Well, that was an interesting question. The center of his life had always been photoshoots and spring collections and how jackets were being cut this year. “Beauty,” he suddenly said, the word seeming to tumble out of his mind. “I like beautiful things.” 

“Then you’ve come to the right place,” Subaru said, sweeping his arm in a panorama across the beach. 

“Isn’t it a little tourist trap-y?” Yo-ka said. “I mean, there’s that Pineapple Park, and the Fruits Garden or whatever they call that botanical thing, and . . .” 

Subaru shook his head. “You have to look past all that,” he said. “That’s not what Nago Beach really is. Humans just put that stuff there very recently. Nago Beach is the things that have been here for centuries. The surf, the sand, the trees . . . yes, even the pineapples.” 

“My friend makes wine from those things,” Yo-ka said. “That’s how he got rich. He left Fukushima, came down here with a little inheritance from his grandmother, sank it into the pineapple wine company and bam, he’s got billions of yen. That’s his house I’m staying in.” He waved a hand behind him. 

“Fukushima?” Subaru said. “That’s where you came from originally?” 

“The middle of nowhere,” Yo-ka said, nodding. “I got out of there as soon as I could. I haven’t looked back since.” Unless, he thought, I can’t get another job, and I have to move back in with my parents, and that’s so unthinkable I’m going to stop that line of thought right there. 

“You have a strong spirit, striking out on your own in an unknown place like that,” Subaru said. 

Yo-ka shrugged. “Not really,” he said. “I just didn’t want to be bored to death.” 

The two met eyes for just a moment, and then they both laughed. Oh, yes, Yo-ka liked this guy. 

Maybe the seal rescue wasn’t the highlight of his day after all. 

* * * 

The sky grew dark, the lights of night fishing boats twinking on the water. Yo-ka went up and turned on the back light of the house so they wouldn’t be sitting in pitch blackness, while Subaru moved his bag next to Yo-ka’s steps. 

They sat back on the sand and talked some more, about Yo-ka’s life back in Tokyo, about how he’d gotten down to Okinawa (a super cheap airfare sale and probably his last financial indulgence for awhile), and about some of the features of the island he hadn’t seen yet. 

At one point, Yo-ka let slip that he had a preference for men. Subaru seemed unfazed by it. When Yo-ka asked about his own preferences, Subaru said, “I don’t really have any.” 

“You mean, you’re asexual?” Well, there went all of Yo-ka’s hopes out the window. 

“No – I don’t have a preference of genders. All humans are beautiful and pleasurable to me.” 

“Oh – pansexual, then.” And a big sigh of relief. Hope was back! 

“If you say so. But labels are so limiting, aren’t they?” 

“Yes. Yes, they are.” Yo-ka turned so he could smile at his companion. “What if I was to label you very attractive, though?” 

“Then I’d say that you were, too,” Subaru said. 

“Really?” 

“Really.” 

Okay, he’d just met this guy. He usually didn’t have one-night stands. He didn’t even fuck on the first date. But he was far from home, and in need of comfort, and the guy was hot, and the sound of the sea and the sight of a near-full moon overhead were just enhancing his mood . . . 

And he thought, fuck it, I’m going to just go for it. 

He leaned in toward Subaru. “Then . . . what if I were to do this?” He brushed his lips against the other man’s, softly, barely touching, more of an invitation than a true kiss, then pulled back . . . 

Subaru pulled him in, kissing him wholeheartedly, wrapping his arms tightly around Yo-ka, and Yo-ka opened his lips, pushing his tongue forward, pressing it against Subaru’s, feeling like he was drinking him in . . . 

They broke apart, both breathing heavily and trembling slightly. Yo-ka brushed his fingers over Subaru’s face. “We’d better go inside,” he said. “We’d get arrested if we went further out here.” 

Subaru nodded, kissed Yo-ka again lightly, then disentangled himself from the other man, standing up and brushing off his shorts. He held out his hand to Yo-ka, and Yo-ka took it, letting the beauty haul him to his feet. 

They walked to his place, knowing full well where they were going once the door shut behind them – straight upstairs, into the master bedroom. 

Yo-ka knew that his friend wouldn’t exactly mind him using the bed for a good cause like this. 

* * * 

When he left Tokyo, he’d put condoms and lube in his suitcase on automatic pilot, not thinking he’d actually need them (even though his friend had told him where the best bar for male-male hookups was). 

It was now looking like the best decision he’d ever made in his life. 

As soon as they were in the bedroom, he grabbed that English language T-shirt of Subaru’s and yanked it upward. His new lover raised his arms, allowing him to pull it off and toss it across the room. Yo-ka’s shirt followed, then both pairs of shorts, Yo-ka’s underwear . . . 

Then they were falling on the bed naked together, wrapped tightly in each other’s arms, kissing hungrily. Subaru rolled them over until he was on top, and aggressively pushed his tongue into Yo-ka’s mouth, reaching down to brush his fingers over a nipple, then lightly squeeze it. 

Yo-ka shuddered and jumped. The other man’s aggressiveness was a sharp contrast to his sweet demeanor – and it made it all the hotter. He arched up toward him, running his hands down Subaru’s back, lower, lower . . . 

When he squeezed Subaru’s bottom, the blond raised his head, leaning back, moaning a little . . . and then leaned over, running his tongue slowly from the bottom of the other man’s neck to the top, a long, slow, wet stroke. 

“Oh, fuck, yes,” Yo-ka moaned, and that inspired Subaru to lower his head, kissing and sucking at his new lover’s pulse line, nibbling at the skin, then licking again. Yo-ka closed his eyes, tipping his head back, exposing his neck to the other man like a willing sacrifice. 

Subaru moved down further, licking his way down to his chest, finding the nipple he’d been pleasuring before. He wrapped his lips around it, making Yo-ka gasp. 

“Suck me,” Yo-ka moaned. “I want your mouth on my cock.” 

Subaru raised his head, reaching down to lightly stroke Yo-ka’s erection. “This is what you want?” 

“Yes . . . but . . . your mouth . . .” 

“Do you like to top or bottom?” A few more strokes of his fingers. 

“Top, usually . . .” He raised his head. Oh, God, was Subaru going to give him what he wanted? 

Subaru glanced around. His eyes fell on the nighttable, on the bottle of lube and box of condoms that had casually been laid there. He grabbed the former and pressed it into Yo-ka’s hand with a smile, then turned around, leaning over, tantalizing ass pointed in the air like an invitation. 

Yo-ka got the message right away. He was to prepare Subaru as Subaru worked on him. He opened the bottle, pouring some over his fingers . . . 

And then, the most wonderful mouth he’d ever felt began sliding down on him. Soft, hot, wet, and silky, oh, yes, it was as if it was lined entirely in wet satin . . . The young man began to suck, and it was just the right amount of pressure. 

Warm ripples of pleasure ran through Yo-ka as Subaru moved his head back, then down, the hardness sliding through hot, liquid delight. Subaru’s tongue licked at him on the outstrokes, tracing the lines of the head, teasing the slit, until he slid back down again, enveloping and engulfing Yo-ka, making him moan loudly. 

“Fuck . . . fuck, you’re amazing, nobody’s sucked me like this, nobody . . .” He suddenly remembered what he was supposed to be doing, and parted the cheeks of the beautiful bottom in front of him, sliding a lubed finger inside. 

Even the inside of his ass felt wonderful. Tight, hot, and yet soft, softer than any man he’d ever been with . . . Yo-ka worked his finger in and out, the gentle probing giving way to a slow thrust, and then outright finger-fucking, pushing to the same rhythm as Subaru’s sucking. 

And oh, that sucking. He was moving faster, and harder, and deeper, seeming to devour Yo-ka, purring with pleasure as he worked – especially when a second finger entered him, gently scissoring, trying to open him up faster. 

Yo-ka was eager. Oh, so eager. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted to fuck someone so badly. He worked the third finger in when he felt his new lover was ready, careful not to go too quickly – he wanted this experience to be pure pleasure for them both. 

Subaru pulled his head back, licking a long, slow trail from the bottom of Yo-ka’s cock to the top, then around the tip. When Yo-ka slid his fingers out of him, Subaru looked over his shoulder with a sweet smile. 

God. Looks like an angel, sucks cock like a demon. He was like the dirtiest of fantasies come to life. 

“I want to get you ready, now,” Subaru said, stretching a hand out. Yo-ka fumbled for the condoms, fingers trembling, managing to get one of them and the lube into Subaru’s hand. 

Subaru ripped the condom packet open, rolling it on Yo-ka’s hardness, pouring lube over it, then passing it back to Yo-ka to pour some more in his cleft. Once he had done that, he shifted around, straddling Yo-ka, starting to move down on his erection. 

Yo-ka just lay beneath him, feasting his eyes on the beauty, on the blond hair spilling around his face, the nicely muscled torso with its hard, dark nipples, the cock standing erect and gorgeous, the lovely face bearing a look of concentration as Subaru slid down on him little by little . . . 

He felt incredible. Even better than Yo-ka’s fingers had indicated. He was like sliding into tight, hot satin. Yo-ka was suddenly very glad Subaru was riding him, or else he might be fighting urges to pound into him too hard, too fast – and he didn’t want to do anything to risk hurting this exquisite creature. 

Subaru paused, bracing his hands on Yo-ka’s chest. “You feel so good,” he said. 

“You feel incredible,” Yo-ka said. “I’ve never felt anything like you.” 

Subaru began to move – a slow, gentle thrust. “Oh, yes,” the blond murmured, his lovely tongue coming out to slide along his lips, which just made Yo-ka hotter, remembering that thing on his hardness. 

As Subaru sped up, Yo-ka became more aware of the sensations around his cock, how the tight channel caressed him. He felt like he was lost within him, drowning in him . . . Subaru was beauty and sensuality itself. 

He slid a hand up Subaru’s chest, feeling it grow slick with sweat, finding a nipple and playing with it, watching the other man lean back his head and moan deeply. 

Yo-ka was raising his hips now, matching his thrusts to his lover’s, the two of them moving together harder, faster, the sounds of their moans and ragged breathing filling the room. He had both hands on Subaru’s nipples now, rubbing them, squeezing them . . . 

One hand moved downward, wrapping around Subaru’s erection, stroking it quickly, and Subaru’s moans grew louder, his breathing more erratic, his whole body starting to tremble. 

When Yo-ka’s thumb brushed over the tip, Subaru cried out, leaning backward, and that velvet sheath tightened around Yo-ka . . . 

As Subaru’s come poured over his fingers, Yo-ka felt an explosion of ecstasy unlike any he’d ever known. His hips lifted all the way off the bed and he let out a cry bordering on a scream as he poured into him, and poured more, and just kept pouring . . . 

Subaru crashed down on top of them, and they kissed, falling back to the sheets, panting, hugging each other. Yo-ka kissed his face everywhere – eyelids, cheeks, chin. 

“I can’t believe it,” he said in a trembling voice. “That was . . .” 

“I know,” Subaru said, buying his face in Yo-ka’s shoulder. “It was wonderful.” 

“You’re . . .” Yo-ka couldn’t even find the words. Fantastic. Amazing. Unlike anything he’d ever had in his life. He held him tighter. He’d clean them off in a moment – for now, he wasn’t letting him go. 

If that was the first one-night stand in his life, then there was definitely something to be said for one-night stands. 

* * * 

Yo-ka awoke the next morning, stirring, murmuring quietly. Oh, yes, that was a wonderful, horny dream. The beautiful boy, the hot sex . . . 

As he came to full consciousness, he realized it wasn’t a dream. It had happened. Subaru was real . . . and so was everything they had done. 

He turned over, groping next to him – nothing. Just empty sheets. 

Yo-ka raised his head. Yes, he was alone. Subaru was gone. He jumped out of bed – the clothes Subaru had been wearing were gone, too. 

“Subaru?” he said. He looked at the bathroom – no, the door was open, he wasn’t there. He pulled on the shorts and began to search the house – not in the guest bedroom or bathroom, the living room, the kitchen . . . 

Yo-ka headed back out toward the beach – and that’s when he saw the note. It was written on the same memo paper that was on the kitchen table, stuck to the back door frame with masking tape. 

“I’ll come see you again tonight,” it said. “Wait for me, same place and same time we met up last night. Subaru.” 

He blinked. Well, this was odd. No contact info? No phone number, not even an E-mail address? Just “I’ll come see you tonight?” And no explanation as to why he had to leave so early? 

But . . . he was coming back. He wanted to see Yo-ka again. It wasn’t a one-night stand. This was turning into . . . well, not a real relationship, but a summer fling. And that was a good thing. Yes, a summer fling might be just what he needed. 

Especially with a guy like Subaru. 

* * * 

He was waiting on the same spot when the sun went down – and sure enough, Subaru came strolling up, this time wearing a different T-shirt (plain yellow) and a different pair of shorts (navy blue). “Hi!” he said. “Want to go for a walk tonight?” 

“Where do you want to go?” Yo-ka said. 

“Anywhere you want,” Subaru said. “Maybe around town?” 

“You’ve got it,” Yo-ka said. “I just need to get some sandals.” 

“Can you grab a pair for me, too?” Subaru said. “I . . . I didn’t bring any. Not tonight, anyway. Walking on sand, you know . . .” 

“Sure thing,” Yo-ka said. Well, that wasn’t unusual. People could easily forget sandals if they were going to be walking on sand. He came back with two pairs of comfortably-fitting beach shoes. “How’s this?” 

“Perfect!” Subaru said, carrying them until they got to the side of the house. When they reached grass, he put them on. 

The two made their way out to the main drag of town, past the ramen shops and conbini and ice cream parlors. “It’s nice that a place like this exists, isn’t it?” Subaru said. “A place where people come just to be happy?” 

“If happiness involves taiyaki stands,” Yo-ka said as they passed one in question, the proprietor slathering sauce over a container of his wares for a group of hungry-looking kids. 

“For them, it does,” Subaru said. “Happiness is different from person to person, you know? I love nature more than anything – but you can’t totally write off the things that humans have made. Because some of them are pretty amazing.” 

“Kind of makes you wonder what this place looked like before the tourists got here,” Yo-ka said – and then stopped, suddenly. “Oh, wow – this is my kind of thing.” He was standing in front of a men’s clothing store, which sported the usual beachwear in the windows – shorts and T-shirts and gym shorts – but also some forward fashion. There were T-shirts bearing skulls and crosses and decorated in sparkly crystals; pants made of black denim with safety pins artfully applied, studded cuffs and wristbands . . . 

“That’s the kind of men’s clothing you used to write about, isn’t it?” Subaru said. 

“Yes,” Yo-ka said. “Let’s go see . . . oh, damn, the store closed at 6 tonight. I’ll come back during the day. Meanwhile . . . why don’t we get some of that ice cream?” 

As they were walking away from the store, a curtain in a window in an apartment above the shop pushed aside. A figure leaned over, seeming to peer at the couple in the street below. 

* * * 

He’d whispered in Subaru’s ear when they were on their way back to his place that he wanted to bury his face in his sweet ass – and he was always a man who kept his promises. 

Which is why Subaru was currently on the bed naked and on all fours, plastic wrap stretched over his cleft as a dental dam ,. . . and Yo-ka was kneeling behind him, equally naked, tongue pushing into that hot little hole. 

And that channel felt as good around his tongue as it had his fingers and cock, clutching around Yo-ka as he wriggled about and explored, moving from spot to spot, then thrusting in and out, making Subaru moan and clutch at the bedding below him. 

Yo-ka raised his head, bringing his lips to one cheek, kissing it, nibbling, licking . . . then moving back to the little hole again, running around the rim, flicking in and out of it, wriggling a little just inside the entrance . . . 

Then he tongue-fucked him with one long, hard thrust, curving it, rubbing back and forth, hitting a sensitive spot that made Subaru let out one long, deep, intense moan. “Yo-ka . . .” 

He lifted his head and reached for the lube, pulling the plastic away and slicking his fingers. “Look over there,” he said, pushing one digit into him – easily, since he’d been loosened up by his tongue. “See the mirror?” 

“Yes,” Subaru said, breathlessly. Sure enough, there was a full-length mirror on the closet door. 

“Get in front of it.” Yo-ka slid his fingers out. “I want you to watch me fucking you.” 

“Ohh, yes . . .” Subaru repositioned himself so he was toward the end of the bed, facing the mirror, still on all fours. Yo-ka watched too, watched himself kneeling behind this beauty, sliding his fingers in and out of him, getting him ready to be taken. 

It was like the most delicious, erotic dream ever. 

When Subaru was well-prepared, he pulled on a condom, slicking himself, pouring more lube into his lover’s cleft . . . and then positioned himself, gripping his hips, watching the mirror. 

“Ready?” 

“Yes . . . fuck me, I need it . . .” 

God, an innocent guy like him talking dirty . . . Yo-ka pushed in, entering that tight satin, watching every move as he began a slow, gentle thrust . . . 

It was like looking at a porno and living it at the same time, feeling Subaru, watching him, knowing Subaru was watching, too . . . His fingers tightened on the other man’s skin as he moved faster, harder, hearing his lover start to moan. 

“Beautiful,” Subaru murmured. “You’re so beautiful, Yo-ka . . .” 

Yo-ka ran his hands up and down his lover’s back, caressing, reaching under him, feeling for his nipples, his eyes glued to the mirror. He watched Subaru move below him, thrusting against him, his skin glistening with sweat, growing more gorgeous and hot by the second . . . 

And then he looked at himself behind Subaru, his hips churning as he thrust into this beauty, his own skin flushed and sweaty. . . 

His hand reached below his lover’s body, finding Subaru’s hardness, stroking him, trying to bring them both to completion . . . and suddenly, Subaru arched back against him, crying out, Yo-ka watching his face of bliss in the mirror as he trembled . . . 

Moments later, his own ecstasy hit, as white-hot intense as their first climax together, making Yo-ka thrust deep into his lover, crying his name out loud as he trembled from the depth of his soul. 

Subaru collapsed to the bed, Yo-ka falling down beside him. They kissed, clinging to each other as if they would never let go. 

But the next morning, Yo-ka awoke to find Subaru gone – again. And there was another note on the door – “See you tonight. Meet me at the same place, same time.” 

What was going on? Where did Subaru go? Did he have someone else – another lover? Was he running off to a demanding job? And why no phone or E-mail – still? 

Yo-ka just stared at the note, shaking his head. He wasn’t going to pry. He didn’t want to chase Subaru away. Not when their little summer fling was, well, the best damn thing that had happened to him in months. Years, even. 

Besides . . . the layer of mystery just made him all that more intriguing. 

* * * 

It continued that way for the next four nights. Yo-ka would wait at the same space on the sand, Subaru would walk up the beach to him, wearing a T-shirt and shorts – but at the same time, no sandals. Another part of the mystery. Yo-ka was used to having sandals ready for him. 

They would go out into town for awhile. One night they walked around a park, bringing bread with them to feed to the birds. Another, they went out for ramen. And on the third night, they went to The Sandpiper – the bar that Yo-ka had been told was the most gay-friendly in the region – so they could dance together. 

Afterward, each night, they’d come back to Yo-ka’s place and have hot, hot sex, always making him feel that he and his new lover were melting into each other. And the next morning, he’d find him gone, with another note saying to meet him at the same place, same time that night. 

There was nothing to really deepen the mystery surrounding him, though . . . until the sixth night. 

The two of them decided to stroll up to the piers, to watch the night fishing boats go in and out. Subaru discreetly ran his fingers along Yo-ka’s arm as they walked – just a light, feathery touch that lasted a moment. 

As they approached the boats, they saw a group of fishermen trudging along, heads down, even their poles seeming to drag on the ground. They seemed to catch Subaru’s attention immediately. He rushed over toward them. “Hi!” he said. “What’s wrong, guys?” 

“They’re not biting,” said one of the fishermen, a large guy who seemed to be the leader of the group. “We put out our nets, our lines, tons of bait – nothing.” 

“They’re out there,” said one of the other fishermen. “They’re just avoiding us like the plague. We tried three different kinds of bait – still nothing.” 

Subaru looked thoughtful for a moment – and then said, “Can you take my friend and I out on your boat with you?” 

Yo-ka looked shocked. What was his lover doing? Just going up to a bunch of strangers and asking to go on their fishing boat? The fishermen were looking at each other with similarly perplexed expressions. 

“Um . . . why?” said the leader. 

“I know a bit about this kind of thing,” Subaru said. “Maybe if I could see you doing it, I could figure out what your problem is.” He gave the leader a big smile and seemed to look into his eyes. 

The leader took a step back, blinking. “Okay,” he said. 

His friends looked at each other again. “What are you doing, Kenji?” said the shortest of the group 

“It can’t hurt,” the leader said. “Look, we’ve tried everything else. Maybe he knows something else we can try.” 

They sighed. “All right,” the short fisherman said. “It’s out of the blue, but . . . all right.” 

“Great!” Subaru said. “I’m Subaru, and this is Yo-ka, by the way.” 

“Um . . . hi?” said Yo-ka. As the group started heading for the boat, he whispered to Subaru, “What are you doing?” 

“Just trust me,” Subaru whispered back. “I can help them.” 

“How?” 

“You’ll see.” 

The boat headed out to the water. The nets and lines were prepared and dropped – and Subaru just stood there, watching quietly. 

“See anything yet?” the leader said. “That we should be doing differently?” 

“Not yet,” said Subaru. “You’re doing okay.” 

“Well . . . all right.” The leader looked puzzled – but he just kept on with what he was doing. 

And then, the nets just sat there. And sat. Sure enough, the fish weren’t coming. 

“Maybe we should change our position?” said the leader. 

Subaru shook his head. “No. You’re fine where you are.” 

“Then . . . what the hell is wrong?” 

Subaru didn’t answer. Instead, he just stood on the deck, eyes closed, breathing deeply, seeming to concentrate . . . 

Then, he opened his mouth and started to sing. 

He had a clear, strong voice with a sensual tone. The music seemed to ring out over the water. Everyone turned to look at him, astonished. 

His song seemed to be an ancient folk ballad in an archaic form of Japanese – maybe one of the original dialects of Osaka? Yo-ka thought. It was definitely not something that was spoken, or sung, around Fukushima. 

Then, all of a sudden, there was a loud rustling noise. The nets and lines began tugging, violently. Subaru finished his song and just stood there, eyes closed, seeming to be in a meditative state. 

The fishermen rushed to the nets. “Holy . . .” said the leader. 

“They’re full!” yelled his second-in-command as they pulled at the nets. “Absolutely fucking full!” 

“So are the lines!” said the little fisherman, hauling in a huge catch. “I don’t believe it!” 

The leader turned to Subaru. “What did you do?” 

Subaru shrugged. “Call it a folk remedy,” he said. 

But Yo-ka just stood there, mouth hanging open, a chill running through his body. This was beyond a mystery. This was . . . like something out of a sea legend. 

Subaru, he thought, who are you, really? 

* * * 

Subaru mentioned nothing else about the incident for the rest of the night, except to tell the fishermen they should be okay for several nights now. The fishermen were so happy with their catch – the boat was so bursting with fish that there was almost no room for the people – that they were even offering to pay him. 

“No need,” Subaru said. “I just wanted to help.” 

They went straight back to Yo-ka’s place and up to bed, and Yo-ka soon forgot about the mystery in the haze of passion. And sure enough, there was the usual note the next morning. 

He sighed, staring at it, rubbing his head. His summer fling was taking an odd turn, all right. That singing thing, which seemed to command the fish to jump in the net . . . that wasn’t just something anyone off the street could do. 

Was Subaru some kind of sorcerer? Was he a folk magician, one of those people who passed arcane knowledge down through generations? 

He shook his head. He needed to go out walking, to clear his mind. Usually, Yo-ka spent most of his daytime hours on practical things and being a diligent housesitter – cleaning, cooking, shopping (his rich friend had thoughtfully left some grocery money) –and the job search. Today, though, that wasn’t happening. 

Yo-ka took a shower and dressed in fresh clothes. It occurred to him he hadn’t visited that hip clothing store he and Subaru had spotted on the second night yet. He headed out into that direction. 

The shop had a homey feel, as if it had been carved out of a big family house. One side of the room featured racks of beach clothing – T-shirts, shorts, swimming trunks. The other had the racks of the good stuff – the kind of clothes Yo-ka used to write about in his old job. He headed right for those, starting to shuffle through a rack of shirts. (Not that he could afford them anymore). 

Across the room, near the racks of the surf clothes, a couple of young guys were having a conversation. “It’s the damnedest thing,” one of them said. “It’s happened to several people I know now – all of them right on the beach.” 

“The stuff just gets stolen off the washlines?” said his friend. 

“Not stolen – more like borrowed. It vanishes from the line – the person will go in to collect their laundry and find a T-shirt and shorts missing. And then the stuff will turn up the next day, folded and at the edge of their property – but it’s all sandy, like it’s been worn. It has to be washed again.” 

“Weird,” the first guy said. “You think there’s a homeless person around?” 

“I don’t know what it is,” the first person said. “I just know it’s been happening all this past week.” 

At that moment, Yo-ka became aware of an older man coming into the showroom from one of the back stockrooms. He glanced around the room – and his eyes fell on Yo-ka. 

“You,” he said. “You’re new, aren’t you?” 

“I’m staying at a friend’s house,” Yo-ka said, confused. 

“You’ve been around town with a pretty blond boy lately, haven’t you?” 

Now Yo-ka narrowed his eyes at him. “Why do you ask that?” 

“Come with me, I need to talk to you.” The old man called out to the college-age boy manning the register, “You keep watching the store, Hiro!” He led the way back to the stockroom, opened a door and went up a flight of stairs. 

Yo-ka looked at him. “Why should I come up there?” 

.“Because there’s something you need to know.” 

“About what?” 

“Something important. Extremely important.” 

“About the blond boy?” Silence. Oh, hell, he wouldn’t find out anything unless he went up there, would he? So he followed the old guy up the steps, saying, “Who are you?” 

“Nakamura Musashi. I’ve owned this store for 53 years. Getting set to retire. My grandson wants me to come live with him.” He opened the door at the top of the stairs. “Come in, come in.” 

Yo-ka walked in. There was a basic, simply furnished apartment. “You live here?” 

“Lived over my store since my kids left home. No need for my own house anymore. Not since . . .” He paused, looking pained. “Well, that’s what I need to talk to you about!” 

Now Yo-ka was completely baffled. “You want to talk to me about your old house?” 

“That boy you’ve been with! Have a seat.” He gestured toward a futon on a sofa frame. “Okay, I’m not one to judge who loves who, y’know. I’m not gonna say anything about that.” 

“What do you know about him?” Yo-ka said, his heart suddenly starting to thump. Was there something . . . sinister about Subaru? Did he have some kind of shady past? 

“Just tell me how you met him.” 

“He just walked up to me on the beach. He’d seen me rescue a seal earlier . . .” 

“A seal, you said?” 

“Um, yes. It was caught in a net, I freed it” 

“And the boy congratulated you on that?” 

“Yes. We talked for a long time, and, well . . .” He looked away. “We entered a relationship. A summer fling, you might say.” 

“Did he disappear every morning, before you woke up?” 

Yo-ka blinked. “How do you know that?” 

“And has he carried anything with him? Some sort of bag?” 

“He’s had a bag with him, yes – he leaves it by my steps – but lots of people carry bags.” 

“Did you ever look in it?” The man was pacing the room as he spoke, as if the interrogation was using up his nervous energy. 

“No. I have no need to.” 

“Have you noticed anything strange about him? Unusual? Like . . . something that couldn’t be explained by science and logic?” 

Yo-ka was starting to feel his stomach churn. “How do you know so much about him?” 

“Just answer.” 

So Yo-ka told the man about the fish incident – during which he paced the room even faster, seeming flat-out agitated. When he was done, the man suddenly turned toward him and said, “I knew it! He’s another one of them!” 

“Another one of . . . what?” Yo-ka was baffled. And scared. And feeling like he was falling down the rabbit hole. 

“Like my wife,” the man said. “Just like my wife.” He paced again. “A selkie. Your boy’s a selkie.” 

“A WHAT?” Yo-ka had heard the word before, but he couldn’t place what it meant. 

“A seal-human. They live in the sea by day as seals and come on earth at night as humans. They shed their seal pelts and their bodies get bigger when they shift into human form.” 

Now Yo-ka was beginning to think this guy was insane. “What makes you think a thing like that?” 

“Because I’ve been walking on the beach at night by your place, boy! I’ve seen that bag that guy leaves by your door!” 

“But what leads you to believe he’s a selkie?” 

“Because my wife had one just like it.” 

All right, now this was getting nuts. “You were married to a seal-human?” 

“For 30 years. Thirty years, two children, and then . . .” The old man stopped pacing and stared out the window. “I met her pretty much the same way you met him. Was just staying here for the summer, helping with a fishing crew. Not happy with my life – was fighting with my father. And then, she just started coming up to me after the boats came in at night. We had an affair – seven days.” 

“That’s as long as I’ve known him,” Yo-ka said. “It’ll be a week tonight.” 

The man turned and looked at him. “Then I found you just in time.” 

“What do you mean?” 

But the old man just continued his story. “One of the other fishermen saw me with her. He came up to me and told me she was a selkie, and asked me if I was falling in love with her. I said I was. And then he told me that after seven nights, she had to go back to the sea and never see me again. That’s one of their laws, you know. Contact with one human only for seven nights, then they have to avoid them for seven years.” 

Yo-ka looked thunderstruck “Seven . . . years?” Oh, my God. If this madness were true, if there was even a grain of truth to what this guy was saying, after tonight he’d never see Subaru again? 

“That’s right. Unless . . .” The man stalked over to a shelf on the wall and seized a metal box with a key sticking out of its lock. He held it up. “You capture the selkie’s pelt.” 

Well, okay. The madness had just taken a new turn. Let’s slide down a new avenue of the rabbit hole, shall we? And Yo-ka just found himself saying “What happens then?” and staring at the box. 

“If a human captures a selkie’s pelt, the selkie is forced to stay with that human. They can’t return to the sea, you see, and they’re in the human’s power. Except the human has to make sure the pelt is locked up tight at all times, though. Keep the key with you always, and I mean always. If you make even one little slip . . .” 

Yo-ka frowned. “Does the selkie die then?” he said. 

“No. They get the key, take the pelt out of the box and return to the sea. That’s their natural instinct – to turn back into seal form and go back to the ocean. That’s what happened to me.” He looked at the box, sadly. “We were happy together. Thirty years, two kids. I always kept the key in a combination safe. Except one day . . .” 

He looked away. “Thieves broke into our home and managed to break the lock on the safe. She found the key, took the pelt and was gone. I haven’t seen her since – when they leave someone who stole their pelt, they don’t come back.” 

“How . . . how do you find her pelt? When you put it in the box, I mean.” Oh, God – he was really believing this. He was really thinking about this. He was falling down, down, down that rabbit hole. He’d bypassed Wonderland and was headed straight for Crazytown. 

“It’s that bag,” he said. “The bag contains the pelt. Find it, put it in this box, lock it up, and then take the key down to the bank and get a safe deposit box for it. Do this, and he’ll be yours forever. Don’t, and tonight is the last time you see him.” 

“But . . . I’m going back to Tokyo in a week. I’m not from here. Even if I capture his pelt, it’s not going to do me any good – is it? Can they travel that far away from the ocean after they’ve been captured?” 

The old man walked over and sat on the futon next to Yo-ka, putting the box on the table in front of him. “Do you know anything about men’s fashion, boy?” 

“My name isn’t boy. Most people call me Yo-ka.” 

“Well, then, do you know anything about fashion, Yo-ka?” 

“I just lost a job at a men’s fashion magazine.” 

“And do you still have contacts in the industry?” 

“Well . . . yes.” 

“I’ve been looking for someone to turn this store over to,” the old man said. “Like I said on the way up, my grandson – he’s the buyer for the hip clothes, by the way, the side you were looking at – wants me to retire and come live with him on the other side of the island. I didn’t have anyone I could turn the store over to, though. The young kids I’ve got working for me? They’re not committed enough. My grandson? Doesn’t want to leave the place he’s living. But you? You’ve been in the industry. You’re a pro. You know what you’re doing. And you have reason to live here – for him.” He pointed to the box. 

“So . . . I’ll make you an offer. You agree to take over the store, you can live in this apartment and run the place.” 

Okay, he was dreaming, right? He was going to wake up, and for once Subaru would still be beside him, and he wouldn’t be a damn seal, and he’d be able to make him breakfast and they’d laugh about Yo-ka’s crazy dream . . . 

“I don’t have the money to buy a business,” Yo-ka said. 

“You won’t have to. I’ll still officially be the owner. I’m just hiring you as the manager. Use of this apartment will be part of your salary. And I’ll be leaving it all to you in my will after I shuffle off this mortal coil – my children have no interest in running a store.” 

“You just met me,” Yo-ka said. “How do you know I’m trustworthy?” 

“Because a selkie chose you. They only choose those who are unsatisfied with their lives . . . and are pure in heart.” 

Yo-ka took a deep breath. “It’s a lot to think about,” he said. 

“Just give it some thought.” The old man picked up the box and held it to him. “But you’re going to have to make the decision about HIM tonight, or else . . .” 

Yo-ka took the box. It felt heavy, cold, solid . . . just the kind of thing to contain someone’s fate. “He won’t be harmed in any way, will he?” 

“You really are falling in love with him, aren’t you?” 

Yo-ka looked down at the imposing metal. “I’ve only known him a week.” 

“But you feel more for him than some people you knew for years?” 

Well, that hit the nail on the head. “Yes.” 

The old man clapped him on the back. “The opportunity for happiness is there, Yo-ka. You just have to seize it.” 

He looked down at the box – and words that Subaru said to him on their very first night came back to him. “When you want opportunity to find you bad enough, it does.” 

Was this was he was talking about? Did he somehow know about this? 

* * * 

Yo-ka stood in the little back porch area of his borrowed house, next to the washer, looking out the back door. 

The edge of the horizon was starting to turn gray. The sun would be coming up soon. He had to make his decision, and make it fast. 

He’d slept fitfully tonight, unlike the other nights he’d been with Subaru, when he’d slept like a stone after their lovemaking. He tried to convince himself throughout the night that nothing was wrong, that it was just another evening with him, that he’d find the note tomorrow morning like always and everything would be fine. 

That old guy was just crazy, right? There were no such things as selkies. Subaru was just a bit eccentric, that was all – and he happened to know ancient fishing magic. 

Certainly Subaru had given no indication that tonight might be their last one together. He’d met up with Yo-ka as always, same spot, same time. They’d gone for ice cream again, then walked down to the pier to see if they could find their fishing friends (they were already out to sea), then came back home and went straight to bed. 

And afterward, the old guy’s words came crashing back into Yo-ka’s head, and suddenly, they seemed less crazy. 

Which was why he was now down here, staring at that damn metal box, which was now sitting on top of the washer. Was he going to do this? Was he going to go out there, and get that bag, and put its contents in that box, and . . . 

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. He didn’t even know if the old guy was crazy, if he himself was crazy, or if the whole thing was just crazy. One thing was for sure, though – if Subaru was, indeed, a selkie, he’d probably come down, get the pelt and go back to the sea at daybreak. 

So . . . he should go out there and look in the bag, right? And if there was nothing in there but guy stuff, or just some sentimental junk Subaru was carrying around for some reason or another, he could breathe a sigh of relief, laugh this whole thing off, go upstairs and get some sleep. 

He walked to the door, flipping on the back porch light, and pushed it open. The predawn wind was a bit chilly as he made his way down the steps, eyes quickly fixing on the brown bag at the bottom. 

When he reached it, he hesitated for just a moment before snatching it up. It was nothing, right? Just some books, or gym clothes, or . . . 

Or a piece of golden brown fur, the exact same color as the seal he’d rescued from the net the day he met Subaru. Which is exactly what he found. 

He just stood there, staring at the pelt. Shit. Oh, shit, it was true. And Subaru was going to come down here, looking for this thing . . . 

And then, Yo-ka would never see him again. Oh, wait – he could see him again in seven years. By that time, Subaru would probably have gone through about twelve dozen other flings and forgotten him. 

Unless he entrapped him by locking the pelt in the metal box. 

He made his way up the stairs, slowly, opening the door just as the first ray of dawn hit the box and made it gleam like a thing from another world. 

Seize opportunity, Subaru had said. Here was a huge one. Lock that pelt away, get back in touch with the old man, and he’d have a solid job and a boyfriend to boot. He’d be with Subaru all day, not just in the evening. He’d . . . 

At that moment, Subaru burst through the back porch door, frantically running for the stairs – and then, he became aware of Yo-ka out of the corner of his eye. He whirled around, looked at him . . . 

And saw Yo-ka with an open metal box, and the pelt in his hand. 

“Yo-ka,” he said in a shocked voice, his eyes wide . . . and full of hurt. “You . . . you know about . . .” 

Yo-ka just stood there, frozen. Do it, stupid, he told himself. Drop the pelt in the box, turn that key, pull it out, and he’s yours. You’ll never be lonely or hurt or unemployed again. 

Except his eyes were locked on Subaru’s face, on his expression, on the pain he saw there . . . hell, the flat-out betrayal. 

He remembered the old man talking about his wife, how after 30 years she was able to recapture her own pelt and go back to the sea. The sea was where selkies wanted to go . . . needed to go, wasn’t it? Was the woman really happy during her 30 years with her husband? Or was she just pretending to be because the captured pelt compelled her? 

His own heart thundered in his ears. His muscles locked, refusing to move, as his mind warred with itself. 

He turned away from Subaru, one hand holding the pelt out toward him. “I can’t,” he said. “I can’t do it. You belong to the sea, not to me. I . . . I can’t take you away from . . . I care about you too much to . . .” 

Fuck, was he crying? Were those tears running down his face? He hadn’t cried since he was a kid. Not the day he was fired. Not even the day some jerk ran into him with a car when he was crossing the street. 

Subaru just stared, open-mouthed, shocked. Then, he ran toward Yo-ka and embraced him. “Yo-ka, you’re really doing this? You know everything, and you’re letting me go?” 

“Yes.” Yo-ka turned in his arms so he was facing Subaru and held him closer, thinking the moment he let go of him, it was all over. “I have to. I don’t want to, but . . .” 

His tears kept tumbling down, and hitting the pelt, which was now crushed between them. And when seven of them had dampened its surface, the pelt began to glow, a soft light that illuminated the whole room, overpowering the glow of early dawn. 

Yo-ka jumped back. “What is that?” he cried. 

Subaru grabbed the pelt in both hands. When the light faded, the fur was no longer golden brown – it was platinum blond, the same as his hair. 

“Oh, my God,” Subaru said, staring at it with wonder. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe it!” 

“What is it?” Yo-ka said. 

“A pure heart! I’ve found a pure heart! It only does that if . . .” He threw his arms around Yo-ka. “That means I can make a trust bond with you!” 

“Pure heart? Trust bond?” Yo-ka was thoroughly confused now. “But . . . but the old man said that selkies only choose people with pure hearts to start with.” 

Now Subaru looked confused. “Who’s the old man?” 

“He runs the store in town. The clothes store. He saw me with you, and saw your bag in front of my house, and figured it out . . . because he was married to a selkie. Um, he captured her pelt, I mean.” 

“And he gave you the box?” 

Yo-ka just nodded. 

“Do you know what this means, Yo-ka? You passed the ultimate test. Very, very few people pass it! Oh, my God, I still can’t believe it . . .” He hugged Yo-ka again. 

“But . . . what does this all mean? Ultimate test? Trust bond?” 

Subaru looked outside at the light. “Come out and sit on the beach with me,” he said. “I can be out here another hour, but then I have to go back to the sea.” 

“And then I’ll never see you again?” 

Subaru smiled brightly, reaching out to take Yo-ka’s hand. “No. We can see each other every night now. You’ve earned the right to a trust bond. That means I trust you to let me go every morning, and you trust me to come back to you every night.” 

“Why didn’t the old man and his wife do that, then?” 

“He didn’t earn it. He didn’t pass the test. Come, and we’ll talk.” 

Subaru walked out to the beach, carrying the now-platinum pelt over his arm, and Yo-ka followed. This was a dream, wasn’t it? Yes, he was still asleep, it was still the first night with Subaru, everything since then was mere fancy . . . 

But he knew this was real. It was too strange not to be. 

Subaru led him out to the sand, to the exact same spot they had sat when they had talked the first night. They sat side-by-side, the pelt across Subaru’s lap, and the selkie reached for Yo-ka’s hand. 

“I don’t know where to start,” Subaru said. “I . . . I’ve never had this conversation before. All my relationships with humans ended after seven nights – I was never found out before.” 

“Why don’t you start with the day we met?” Yo-ka said. “Were you the seal I rescued from the net?” 

“Yes.” 

“Is that why you were on the beach that night? To thank me?” 

“Actually . . .” Subaru looked out at the glow of the dawn over the ocean. “Selkies sense humans who are unhappy with life. That’s why we gravitate to humans – we come into their lives for a little while and make them feel better. When you got me out of the net, I read your thoughts.” 

“You can do that?” Yo-ka looked surprised. 

“I can’t read minds all the time,” Subaru said. “Just when we get near a human who we can help – you might say it opens up a channel of communication in us. We get a flash of the human’s thoughts so we can see who they are and where to find them, and a bit about why they’re unhappy.” 

“So, that thing the old man told me about selkies choosing people for their pure hearts was bullshit?” Yo-ka said. 

Subaru ran his fingers over the pelt. “We’ll just say he didn’t get that right. Like I said . . . we seek people who are unhappy. We have a seven-day fling with the person, and at the end of the week, if we haven’t been found out by the human . . . well, we just slip away back into the ocean and don’t see them again. And the human’s memory is modified so they think they had a great little summer fling and it ended on good terms – with the person they were sleeping with having to go back to wherever they came from.” 

“But if the selkie is found out?” 

Subaru nodded. “That usually happens the way it did with you. The person having the affair with the selkie meets someone who had been married to one, they tell their story . . . and they give them the metal box. And this is what we consider the ultimate test of a human – whether the human has a pure heart.” He looked down. “Almost none of them pass the test.” 

“What happens when someone fails it?” 

“What the old man said. The human locks away the pelt, and the selkie is compelled to stay on shore as that person’s spouse. But it’s not real love, or a real marriage. The selkie may seem happy, but . . . he or she never really is. We belong to the sea. We need to be there at least half the day, and if we’re not . . . a part of us is missing. And we’re always going to be looking for that key, to take the pelt back and go back home.” 

“Does the selkie always find it?” Yo-ka said. 

“Always,” Subaru replied. “I’ve never heard of a captured selkie who didn’t find the key. And when they do, they go back to the sea for good, and the person who captured them never sees the selkie again.” 

“Even if they had children together?” 

Subaru nodded. “The selkie might sneak back to visit his or her children once in awhile, but for the most part? They stay in the ocean. It’s traumatizing to be held by a human for a long period of time. It’s, well . . . a form of slavery.” 

Yo-ka shuddered. He was now very, very glad he’d handed the pelt back to Subaru. 

“But if the human has a pure heart? If they genuinely place our needs above their own and refuse to lock the pelt away?” He squeezed Yo-ka’s hand. “That’s the kind of relationship every selkie wants to find. Only then are we allowed to extend the relationship past seven days. We can come to that person every night as long as both of us decide we want to be together.” 

“So that’s why your pelt changed color? Because I gave it back to you?” 

“Your tears did that,” Subaru replied. “If the human cries seven tears because they know they have to give one of us up, and they fall on the pelt . . . the pelt changes color, so all the other selkies can see we’ve found a pure heart. It kind of raises our status in the selkie community.” He held the pelt up. “When I go back to the ocean, everyone will know.” 

Yo-ka took a deep breath. “Another question . . . the old man. He wants to turn his business over to me. Did you know about that? Did you make it happen, somehow?” 

Subaru shook his head. “Not at all. But we believe that pure-hearted humans draw good luck to themselves. That’s why you got offered the job.” He put the pelt down and looked at Yo-ka. “You’re going to take it . . . aren’t you?” 

“Yes,” Yo-ka said without hesitation. If Subaru could see him every night? He now had every reason in the world to move to Okinawa for good. Why not? There was really nothing left for him in Tokyo – he had friends there, to be sure, but he had no love affairs, and, of course, no job. All he’d have to do was go home a couple of days to settle things, then move into the apartment over the store. 

“I’m so glad.” Subaru threw his arms around him. “I knew there was something special about you the day I met you . . .that you were different from any other human I’d been with. I know why now.” He raised his head and gently kissed Yo-ka’s lips. “I’m so looking forward to getting to know you better.” 

“Same here,” Yo-ka said. “I can’t believe this. Any of this. It’s like . . .” 

“Something out of a fairy tale?” Subaru said. 

“Something like that.” 

“It’s real.” Subaru kissed him again. “I’m real.” He stood up, holding out the pelt. “And now, I have to go to the ocean. I’ll come back tonight, I promise.” 

“Same place, same time?” 

“Of course.” 

“Oh, and Subaru? Have you been taking clothes off people’s lines to wear when you’re with me?” 

Subaru rubbed the back of his head. “I couldn’t come to you naked,” he said. “I gave the clothes back, though!” 

“I’ll put clothes out for you,” Yo-ka said. “Right over there – on that rock.” He pointed. “They’ll be in a box – not that metal one. I’ll put them in a cooler.” 

“Thank you!” Subaru said, hugging him – then pulled back. “Turn around,” he said. “Humans aren’t allowed to see the transformation – even pure-hearted ones.” 

“That’s why you always left before dawn?” Yo-ka said. 

“Yes.” Subaru leaned over and gave him a last kiss – then waited until Yo-ka had his back turned. There was only the sound of the wind, then a splash . . . 

Yo-ka turned around to see the seal he’d seen the first day – only platinum blond now, not golden brown – bobbing happily in the water. It waved a flipper at him, then dove beneath the waves. 

He stretched and yawned. He felt damn good right now – better than he’d felt in years. Pure-hearted? He’d never been called that before. Hell, it was one of the last things he’d suspect about himself. But . . . he’d done the right thing. And look what it had gotten him. 

When he’d come to this beach, he was a broken-down guy without a future. Now he was looking at having a relationship and a new career in his life. (Okay, so the guy was a seal – but he was still someone that Yo-ka knew he might fall in love with.) 

He was going upstairs now for a much-needed nap. Then, he was going into town to have a talk with the old man, to get the ball rolling on his new career. At the end of the week, he’d go back to Tokyo just long enough to square things, so he could come back here for good. 

But for the rest of the week, he was going to enjoy the rest of his very unique vacation in this house. And when his friend came home, he owed him the biggest thank-you in history. 

* * * 

EPILOGUE – TWO YEARS LATER 

Yo-ka stood in front of the store, scrutinizing the new window display. Perfect. It was showcasing the shop’s own line of clothes, which they’d started producing six months ago. 

It was one of those strokes of luck that seemed to follow him everywhere that his old friend from the magazine, Shoya, had decided to put his design skills to good use and take the plunge into the industry – but he couldn’t get shops in Tokyo to take his line. 

“Bring them to me and I’ll sell them,” Yo-ka had told him – and the line was an instant hit, nearly doubling the store’s sales in a year, especially their off-season business. Hell, they even had a web site and a mail-order division now – he’d hired another old magazine colleague, Tatsuya, to run that end. A third friend, Kei, took the pictures and wrote the copy for the site. 

Yes, this was beyond his wildest dreams for the place – even the very magazine that had laid him off (well, at least the one fashion magazine the company was still producing) had taken notice of it, saying the line was “putting Okinawa on the map, fashion-wise.” 

He walked into the shop, where a young college student was manning the register. “You’re all set for closing?” he said. 

The boy nodded. “We stay open until 8 tonight, right?” 

“Yes. And if there’s any questions, I’m right upstairs.” He went into the stockroom, and opened the door that led to his living quarters. 

He could see the glow of the sunset spreading across the sky. He’d hear the familiar footfall in a few minutes. They no longer met up on the beach – Subaru came straight home, after stopping at the usual rock to get the clothes Yo-ka had put out for him that night. 

Sure enough, Subaru walked in while Yo-ka was coming out of their bedroom after putting away a load of laundry. “Hi,” he said, cheerfully, walking over to Yo-ka for his usual kiss. “How was your day?” 

“Terrific,” Yo-ka said. “Shoya’s new designs came in and they’re even better than the last ones.” 

“Oooh, are we going to do another fashion show?” Subaru said. “The last one went over really well.” 

“That’s because there’s not too many fashion shows held right on the beach in the evening,” Yo-ka said. “And there’s also not too many fashion shows that have an all-selkie cast of models.” (Not that the people viewing the show knew what they were – they just knew the show had a very beautiful male cast.) 

“They had a great time doing it,” Subaru said, sitting on the couch. “Kuina asked me if we were going to do it again. Oh, he wants to double-date with us again tomorrow, by the way. He swears this human is a special one.” 

“He says that about all his humans,” Yo-ka said, sitting beside his love. 

“He means it this time,” Subaru said, wrapping an arm around Yo-ka. “He said this guy has a special vibe about him.” He kissed Yo-ka. “So what’s on the agenda for tonight?” 

“I figure a quiet evening at home. Order takeout, get romantic . . .” 

“That’s right,” Subaru said with a bright smile. “This is the special night, isn’t it? Our second anniversary?” 

Yo-ka nodded. “Two years ago today I got you out of that net.” 

“Getting stuck in that thing was the best thing that ever happened to me.” 

“Just like getting fired from the magazine was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Yo-ka said. “I love you.” 

“I love you too. I love you so much . . .” Subaru brought his lips to Yo-ka’s. “Hey . . . how about we fire up the hot tub?” 

“You like making love in that thing a bit too much,” Yo-ka said, teasingly. 

“Well, I AM a water creature.” They both laughed. 

Yo-ka kissed him again. “What would I do without you?” he said. 

“We don’t have to think about that, do we?” Subaru said. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here with you every night.” 

Yo-ka held him closer. “No,” he said. “We don’t.” 

He watched his lover stand up and head for the bathroom. What would his life be like him, indeed. Hell, he’d probably be back in Tokyo, piecing together a string of part-time jobs trying to make the rent, not having time for a social life let alone having a lover . . . 

But the thought of that was wiped out of his head the moment he saw Subaru dropping those clothes he’d left on the rock for him to the floor. And was definitely gone by the time he was perched on the edge of the hot tub, Subaru kneeling between his spread legs, the blond’s perfect tongue flicking over a nipple, then moving to the other one, circling it, then sucking. 

Subaru pulled away for a moment, giving Yo-ka a deceptively sweet smile, then moved down further, licking at the droplets of water clinging to Yo-ka’s torso, kissing the flat stomach . . . 

Until he reached the tip of the erection, which he swirled his tongue around, making Yo-ka moan loudly. “Yes, Subaru, please . . .” 

He opened his lips and moved down on Yo-ka, taking in as much cock as he could, sucking firmly. Yo-ka grabbed the back of his head, drawing in a deep breath. No matter how many times they were together, how many times they did this, he couldn’t get enough of that velvety mouth. 

Subaru moved his head up and down, the cock sliding in and out of his lips as he sucked firmly, seeming to completely envelop Yo-ka in wet heat. His hands slid up his lover’s torso, stroking the nipples, rubbing them in rhythm to his sucking. 

Yo-ka leaned his head back, letting out a long, loud groan of sheer pleasure, his hips lifting off the edge of the tub, pushing himself further into that mouth. When Subaru pulled him out entirely and licked from base to tip, he opened his eyes and looked down, seeing that seemingly sweet and innocent boy relishing every moment of being dirty as he stroked him with that tongue, then kissed the tip . . . 

When he took Yo-ka in again, he went deep and hard, and Yo-ka moaned louder, grabbing Subaru’s hair again, feeling his body start to tremble, thinking he wasn’t going to last much longer . . . . 

Subaru pushed down until he was nearly deep-throating him, and Yo-ka let go, crying out as he came into that hot softness, the climax going on and on until he sagged forward, limp. Subaru moved away and he slid into the water. 

He grabbed his lover and kissed him, hard, pushing his tongue into the selkie’s mouth, tasting his own come. Subaru kissed back, hands running along Yo-ka’s body . . . before he hopped up on the side of the tub, legs spread, so Yo-ka could return the favor. 

Oh, he did, gladly. He leaned over and began kissing his way up and down that cock, worshipping it, licking it, as his hands stroked his inner thighs, squeezing the flesh a little. 

He wrapped his lips around the tip and began to suck. God, it was like Subaru was made especially for him sometimes. This thing always felt like the perfect shape and size, in his mouth, in his hands, in his ass when they’d reversed their usual roles . . . 

Yo-ka opened up wider and thrust down hard, sucking firmly, Subaru’s moans the sweetest music to him. He shifted around so he could take him deeper still, letting Subaru just about fuck his throat, moving faster, reaching up to stroke a nipple as Subaru had done to him . . . 

“Yes,” Subaru gasped, clutching the back of his head. “Yo-ka, yes, more, please, please . . .” 

Yo-ka was moving fast enough to churn the water now, feeling the lovely cock slide through his lips, tasting a few drops of precome, hearing his lover’s sounds get louder, thinking he couldn’t get enough of this, he never would . . . 

One hand stayed on Subaru’s chest, playing with the nipples, the other moved down, down, until he was lightly caressing his lover’s balls – and Subaru leaned back, letting out a near-wail, thrusting deep into Yo-ka’s mouth as he let go. 

Yo-ka eagerly swallowed the come that came pouring and pouring, making sure he got every drop, and God, even that tasted better than any guy he’d ever been with. He eased away, holding out his arms for Subaru to tumble into, and they sank into the bubbling water, Subaru’s head on his shoulder. 

“I’m so glad you had this put in,” Subaru murmured, eyes closed, arms wrapping around Yo-ka. 

“I’m glad, too,” Yo-ka said, kissing him. When he’d moved in, he’d noticed the odd shape of this bathroom, the big, empty space next to the washing-up area . . . the hot tub had seemed a no-brainer. 

Subaru raised his head. “Happy Anniversary,” he said. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” 

He wrapped his arms around his lover and sighed with contentment. This was all he could hope for – a fashion career by day, the love of his life by night. Hell, he almost wanted to go back to Tokyo and thank his old boss for firing him – because that was the biggest favor that anyone had ever done for him. 

Pure hearts might or might not actually draw luck, but Yo-ka definitely felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Selkies are a legend said to have originated in Celtic regions, but variations on the basic myth – an animal shapeshifter or angelic creature who can be trapped into marriage by stealing a magic garment – have been found in cultures throughout the world. The Vikings believed a man could marry a Valkyrie if he captured her falcon cloak. The Japanese variation is the tennin, or celestial maiden, who could be trapped by stealing her hagoromo, or heavenly robe. The tennin has been the subject of everything from Noh plays to the manga Ayashi no Ceres by Watase Yuu, and one of the areas where they were said to be seen is Okinawa. The part of this story where a pure-hearted individual can keep a selkie as a mate permanently is my own invention, although the seven tears that seal the deal (no pun intended) and then seven nights a selkie can stay with a human are because these creatures are closely linked to the number seven (it was said an unhappy woman could draw a male selkie to her by crying seven tears into the ocean).


End file.
